What to do and eat in South Slope: The best spots in the unseen Brooklyn neighborhood

By Steven Casale Special to amNY.com
July 5, 2017

Park Slope may get all the attention, but there are still a few things to discover just south of its border. Though no one can formally agree about the boundaries of South Slope (most say its northern border is 15th Street), the neighborhood manages to retain a feel all its own.

Here you’ll find a slower pace and a deeper Brooklyn feel. Mingle with locals at cafes and pizza shops or explore streets where you’ll see charming prewar row houses.

Here’s our guide to the often unseen neighborhood that includes everything from an artist’s coffeehouse to a late-night mermaid-themed bar.

Find your center at a yoga class

Let your Brooklyn hippie side shine with a morning yoga class. Jaya Yoga Center was started in 2000 and offers practice to beginners and non-beginners alike in a breezy, secluded atmosphere. Check the daily schedule for a diverse roster of class choices. (1626 Eighth Ave., 718-788-8788) (Credit: Jaya Yoga Center)

Get creative at Roots Cafe

Roots Cafe is South Slope's mecca for artists, writers and the like (and those who need a cup of coffee, too). The beans come direct from Forty Weight Coffee Roasters in Ithaca, NY. Start your day with a regular cup of Joe or any of the seasonal coffee specials and one of the breakfast or lunch options (each are served all day). (639A Fifth Ave., 615-419-7877) (Credit: Roots Cafe)

Lunch like an Austrian

Tinkering on the northern edge of South Slope, Cafe Steinhof is a kitschy Austrian eatery with a lot on its plate (in a good way). Lunch options include a variety of sandwiches (like chicken or Wiener schnitzel), cheese spaetzle, a sausage selection and more. Sit among German-language signage and be sure to order a kölsch beer to wash it all down. (422 Seventh Ave., 718-369-7776) (Credit: Cafe Steinhof)

Spot the butterflies at this garden

South Slope proper doesn't have much in the way of parks, but nestled on a curve in the road along 18th Street and Seventh Avenue is the Butterfly Garden. It's a bit of space that was left over after the construction of the Prospect Expressway that now draws migrating butterflies. Take a moment to relax among the butterfly-attracting perennials carefully tended to by local residents. (Credit: Polly Higgins)

Enjoy a snack in the form of pizza

Why shouldn't a late afternoon snack come in the form of pizza? Toby's Public House, also located in Red Hook, is both New York-style sports bar and old-school pizza parlor. Though you may not expect it, the 12-inch pies are a serious matter. Go standard with the bufalina pie (made with mozzarella straight from Italy and drizzled with olive oil) or ham it up with the smoked pancetta pizza (topped with cremini mushrooms and black garlic). (686 Sixth Ave., 718-788-1186) (Credit: Toby’s Public House)

Escape the asphalt at 6/15 Green

A community garden at Sixth Avenue and 15th Street, 6/15 Green is open to the pubic. Occasional events including plant sales aside, your main reason for stopping here is to remind yourself what can and does grow in the city. And you can always rest for a bit on one of the chairs placed beneath a giant weeping willow tree. (Credit: Polly Higgins)

Make your dinner as Brooklyn as it gets

There's Italian food and then there's Brooklynite Italian food. Giovanni's Brooklyn Eats is the latter. An assortment of antipasti (like the owner's family recipe meatballs) and fresh salads set the stage for a selection of fresh housemade pastas (vegetable lasagna, tagliatelle with shrimp) and homey main courses (chicken piccata, veal scalopini). Drop by on Sundays after 5 p.m. for red sauce specials. (1657 Eighth Ave., 718-788-8001) (Credit: Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats)

Sip on a tropical cocktail

Sea Witch is kooky maritime goodness on an otherwise quiet block. Behind the bar is a large tank full of tropical fish and out back sprawls a spacious multilevel patio. The liquor selection, from gin to tequila, is hefty, but it's the rum list that's no joke. (A possible nod to the life of a pirate.) Quick bites, like the fried whole-belly clam roll or the cornmeal-crusted oysters, are also available and easily washed down with any of the 20 beers on tap. (703 Fifth Ave., 347-227-7166) (Credit: Sea Witch)